I've always been involved in charity. From Races for Life and Memory Walks, to countless Children in Need events and Red Nose Days, charity is something I'm incredibly passionate about, and something that I think everyone should get involved with if they're able!
The charity closest to my heart, and the one I am most involved with, is the Alzheimer's Society. Back in my first year of university, my gran was diagnosed with dementia. I didn't want to sit and do nothing, and was told by a family member about Elf Day, and annual fundraising event for the Alzheimer's Society. I organised an Elf Day event in one of the main buildings at my uni, and raised as much money as I could. From this I was asked if I wanted to continue running events and raising money, and I absolutely threw myself into it!
I set up Alzheimer's Lincoln as a student led project, and ran it for 3 years. In this time we raised an amazing amount of money, dementia friend trained countless people, and helped spread awareness of dementia. I recruited an incredible team of volunteers and with the help of the Students Union, ran the project for 3 years before training up one of our volunteers to lead the project when I left.
Alzheimer's Lincoln gave me so many incredible experiences including:
✨ Setting up a Dementia friendly craft group
✨ Raising over £10,000 for the charity
✨ Running annual gigs in Lincoln
✨ Organising dementia friends sessions, and contacting businesses to get them on board
✨ Hosting loads of events and chatting to so many different people about dementia
✨ Winning "Inspiring Young Person of the Year" and "Youth Group of the Year" at the National Dementia Friendly Awards 2019
I honestly wouldn't have the skills I have today if it wasn't for volunteering and this project. Volunteering is such a great way to add skills to your CV, and you can really tailor your experiences to the career you aspire to. I learnt so much including:
✏️ Organisation and time management
✏️ Working with people from a range of backgrounds
✏️ Empathy, patience and teamwork
✏️ Resilience and determination
I've ended up applying all of these skills to my scientific career!
Volunteering is something that can be done around your studying or job, you can even find online volunteering opportunities that can be carried out when it suits you! If you have the time and means to, I really would recommend volunteering. Speak to your institution or university about opportunities, contact local charities, reach out to people you want to work with, or even start something yourself! The skills, friends and difference you will make is worth it.
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